Friday, October 14, 2016

Roving Pittsburgher Report, Fallen Woman Theme Inspires Once Again in "La Triviata."


The Fallen Woman Theme Inspires Once Again in "La Triviata."

by Hometown Tourist, Clarine Lizana

The story of a fallen woman with a noble heart has inspired theater and opera goers for centuries. The Pittsburgh Opera opened their 2016-2017 season this month with Verdi’s “La Traviata”, as did the Florentine Opera. “La Traviata” translates as “The Fallen Woman”, a subject that may seem a little trite and sexist in this day and age. The heart of the story, however, deals with the life choices made by young people of every age, the decision to lead a life of hedonistic pleasure, or a life of true devotion. Whether to another person, a cause or an ideal, this sublimation brings the fullness of life and joy. Sadly for Violetta, this realization comes too late in life.



The performances of the cast and orchestra were excellent. Danielle Pastin as Violetta sets the bar for any who would follow her on the Pittsburgh stage. Her voice is not only strong and precise, but has a certain melodic quality that makes one wish that she were available to lullaby them to sleep at night. Every note that issued from her throat mesmerized me. The pairing of the two lovers, Danielle Pastin as Violetta and Cody Austin  as Alfredo Germont was powerful and touching but could not compare to that of Sebastian Catana as Giorgio Germont.  I look forward to hearing more from him in the future.




The minimalistic set design created a stark contrast to the ornate costumes of the era. A large framed painting, present during the first and third act, made to resemble a fresco created an excellent backdrop to the story. It gave an old world feel to the opera setting. My only complaint was with some of the staging, which allowed performers to be turned from the audience or blocked by other performers.  

Sung in Italian with English subtitles, this two hour and twelve minute opera with two intermissions left you wanting more instead of wondering when it would end.
For late comers, you can still see “La Traviata” on Sunday at October 16 at 2PM.  Well worth the trip.

As an opera enthusiast, my greatest joy of the night was the size of the crowd. For a Tuesday night, the theater was quite full. Even more exciting was the fact that a good portion of those in attendance appeared to be 30 years and younger. Perhaps the millennials will bring a revival in the arts.


Clarine Lizana is a retired electrical engineer who is a former native of Republic, Pa and returned to Pennsylvania after retirement. She was formerly a training director at Crater Lake Electrical. She now lives in Uniontown, Pennsylvania and spends her retirement crafting, visiting family, golfing and travelling, having just returned from a trip to Italy where "La Trviata" of course was playing.

Roving Pittsburgher Report, Back to the Future, A Retro Blast to the Past!



Back to the Future
A Retro Blast to the Past! 
Film with Orchestra
Performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
 “Summer with the Symphony Series”
Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh  
Reviewer:  JoAnn R. Forrester, Empress of Biz, Listen, Learn, Prosper





Whoa…wait a minute here. Wasn’t it only a few years ago that the hit movie BACK TO THE FUTURE was released?   And now in 2016 it is being proclaimed a classic!  And it being shown as one in a series of shows in the “Summer with the Symphony Series” performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony. What happened? Have I somehow been transported to the future?

 Nope! It is just something that happens along the way when one is raising a family, starting and running a business and just living life.  Ok, now that I am somewhat over 30 years that has come and gone in a blink of an eyelash let’s focus on the review.
 
Back to the Future is celebrating a 30 year anniversary.  It was a mega hit when it debut in 1986.  To celebrate its 30th anniversary the Pittsburgh Symphony in its “Summer with the Symphony” has come up with a fun and captivating way to present it.  The movie was shown on a big hi-def screen with a full symphony orchestra performing Emmy and Grammy Award composer Alan Silvestri’s dazzling musical score in synch with the movie.  As a special treat Silvestri composed an additional 15 minutes of music to enhance a live performance with an orchestra. 

live characters opening show

It was fun to go Back to the Future and watch another grand escapism adventure by Steven Spielberg.  It was very enjoyable to relive the performance of the exceptional cast, Michael J.Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover as they deal with various twists and turns and quirks of time travel.  The movie hods well and does not appear out of date..it fits admirably into our gadget loving crazed era.  Young and old in the audience were enthralled, calpped and cheered periodcially and gave a rousing ovation at the end.  

As usual the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, led by
Francesco Lecce-Chang performed superbly.  And it was fun watching a few members posing as the main characters with a real DeLorean for photo opps.   The “Summer with the Symphony” series is a hit.  It is a great way for people to come downtown and become familiar with our excellent Pittsburgh Symphony. 

The most amazing thing about the show was being able to see the symphony play right below the screen and feeling disappointed for them that they had to concentrate on the music and not enjoy the show.  

Now if I could just find those 30 years that flew bye…where is my flux capacitor?  

Written By: JoAnn R. Forrester
Host of Empress of Biz
Anchor Internet Radio Show on PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com
JoAnn R. Forrester is co-host of the Empress of Biz Talkcast and co-founder, president and partner in S. I. Business Associates, Small Business Solutions, LLC and Celebrate and Share. She is an entrepreneur, writer, business growth specialist, teacher, columnist and award winning writer. JoAnn specializes in helping small businesses grow and prosper. She is the co-developer of the PRICE IT PERFECT™ cost management system for small business, and has secured over 40 million dollars in loans and investment for her clients.